Strasburg on surprise extension: "The timing just felt right"

In the end, it was about comfort. Stephen Strasburg's comfort in Washington. The Nationals' comfort in giving the right-hander a $175 million contract extension that also gives him the right to opt out after only three or four years. And Scott Boras' comfort in doing what his client wanted, even if it potentially meant leaving more money on the table as a free agent this winter.

All sides expressed pleasure with the deal that apparently was agreed upon two weeks ago but only was officially announced today, insisting it made sense for everyone involved.

"I think the timing just felt right," Strasburg said. "The grass isn't always greener on the other side. There was not much else I was needing than what's been given to me in this organization."

The feeling was mutual from club officials who first drafted the pitcher seven years ago, never knowing for sure if the relationship would extend beyond its minimum term.

"This is a special day for me and for the organization," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "One of our real cornerstones, and a guy that really put us on the map, has decided to stay home. ... I promised the family a long time ago that we would do what's best for the player and the pitcher, and I'm glad to see that he did his part by staying true to us, too. It was a great marriage at the beginning, and it still is today. And now it's going to be a long-term thing. We couldn't be prouder of it."

The news of Strasburg's deal - seven years, $175 million, with an opt-out after three or four years - shocked just about anyone who didn't have direct knowledge of the negotiations. And there weren't many in that exclusive club.

The two sides began talking in spring training, with Boras traveling to principal majority owner Ted Lerner's home in Palm Springs, Calif., on multiple occasions to lay the groundwork. Strasburg preferred to get something done before opening day, but was willing to extend talks into the season's first month.

The final terms were agreed to about two weeks ago, but one last T had to be crossed before it could be announced: Strasburg needed to pass a physical, with doctors wanting to confirm as best they could that his shoulder and his surgically repaired elbow looked healthy enough to make this long-term commitment.

So Strasburg secretly left the club during last week's interleague series in Kansas City, unbeknownst not only to reporters but to most teammates, to take that physical, returning in time to pitch Wednesday's series finale at Kauffman Stadium.

"It was something that kind of kept going on over the course of the start of the season," the 27-year-old right-hander said. "It's funny, this is something that was kind of set in stone for two weeks now. I guess your secret's safe with me."

Strasburg also took the mound last night against the Tigers with the news not yet public until it began to spread mid-game. When he departed during the top of the eighth and got a louder-than-expected ovation, he started to realize what was going on.

"It was kind subtle, but a light bulb kind of went off," he said. "And then after the game when I checked my phone, there were a million text messages, so that's when I realized it happened."

Strasburg has always shied away from the spotlight, so the nature of this negotiation and the timing of its announcement fit particularly well. At a time when most everyone assumed he'd become a free agent at season's end and most likely sign elsewhere (perhaps closer to his hometown of San Diego), he declared his preference to remain right where he's been since he was the first overall pick of the 2009 draft.

"I think from day one when I signed here, it was a very new experience for me," he said. "Being from Southern California, that was something that I knew. But over the last few years, the city of D.C. has really grown on my family, and we're very, very comfortable here. To see the commitment, not only in the players they bring in but the guys they draft, there's a lot of high-character guys, a lot of guys with talent. I really feel like this organization is going to be winning and succeeding for many years to come, and I definitely want to be a part of that."

Boras, who rarely in his storied career has signed a client to an extension during a walk year, sensed for a while this is what Strasburg wanted.

"From Stephen's perspective, for him, his relationship with the Nationals, the ownership, the city, has always been highly favorable and something where he pitched well here and enjoyed the city," the agent said. "It was very important for him that his family was comfortable here. So, really, Washington was a strong consideration for him."

Strasburg's career in D.C. has been filled with highs (his 14-strikeout debut) and lows (injuries, the club's decision to shut him down prior to the 2012 postseason to protect his arm) but he has felt a sense of loyalty to the Nationals throughout. When some viewed the controversial shutdown as a precursor to Strasburg eventually leaving as a free agent, it turns out that decision only solidified the pitcher's trust in the franchise.

"It was something that happened slowly and over time, but there were a lot of situations in the past that I think looking back on it, they took great care of me, and not just as a pitcher but as a person," Strasburg said. "I think what they believe in and what I believe in kind of coincide. It seemed like just a great fit for me and my family. And I couldn't be happier."

Said Rizzo: "I think the way we treated him and his family with the shutdown, as painful as it was for him, he knew it was for the right reasons. I think that played into (the decision to re-sign)."

The Nationals had never included an opt-out clause in any previous player's contract, and they did so reluctantly in this case. The club, though, wasn't willing to let that become a sticking point that would blow up the entire deal.

"Why do that? Because they wanted it," Rizzo said. "It was part of the negotiation, and this is the first one I've ever done. It seems to be the en vogue ingredient to get a long-term deal with certain players."